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Raila Odinga tells off US over his swearing-in plan

Thursday December 7 2017

Raila Odinga (third left) and other Nasa leaders attend prayers for people who were killed during post-poll chaos at the City Mortuary in Nairobi on December 7, 2017. PHOTO | SAMWEL OWINO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

After the prayers, a total of 16 bodies were removed from the mortuary and ferried to various destinations for burial.

Majority of the victims were from Siaya, Mr Odinga’s home county, and Kisumu County— a bedrock of his support.

National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga has told off western countries that are against his swearing-in as the the ‘people’s president’.

Mr Odinga on Thursday said the US and other countries that have advised against the December 12 inauguration should know that “the will of the people cannot be stopped”.

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The US, Mr Odinga said, should not talk about violation of the constitution as far as his swearing-in is concerned yet Washington DC has been "loudly silent" on killing of innocent protesters by police since August.

Kenya Police stand accused of shooting and killing dozens in violent protests that followed August 8 General Election and October 26 repeat presidential poll.

"We thought we had friends but we were wrong and now we know they are enemies. Up to today, no single ambassador has condemned the killing of people by police," he said."The western countries should, therefore, keep off the affairs of the country as Kenyan problems will only be solved by Kenyans themselves."

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He spoke at the City Mortuary in the capital Nairobi when he met and condoled with families that lost their loved ones during the post-poll chaos.

The opposition leader claimed that since August, 215 people had been killed and the government had remained silent over it.

Police have disputed Nasa tallies in the past, saying only a few dozen people died in clashes that rocked Nairobi and several counties in western Kenya.

Mr Odinga said the government owes an apology to all families whose loved ones were felled by police bullets.

"The government should compensate all families who have lost their loved ones because they did not deserve to die while exercising their rights," he said.

16 BODIES

The Nasa leader urged his supporters to remain steadfast in their quest for electoral justice, adding that they do not recognise the November 28 swearing-in of President Uhuru Kenyatta for the second term.

"We don't recognise the swearing-in that took place because it was based on an election that we also don't recognize,” he said,

“The will of the people was expressed on August 8 and that is it.”

Mr Odinga has insisted that he won the August 8 presidential poll and accuses the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of rigging him out.

He alleges that IEBC allowed manipulation of figures during result transmission to give Mr Kenyatta an undeserved victory.